Emerging mkts post record investment inflows

Equity funds in Brazil, Russia, India and China also received a net $376 mn, a record since EPFR began tracking these funds.

Emerging markets funds received record net inflows in the week ending February 8, with $3.3 billion moving to equities and $851.8 million pouring into bonds, Emerging Portfolio Fund Research EPFR said on Friday.

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Demand for emerging equity funds was the largest in dollar terms since EPFR began collecting such data in 1995. All regions had a strong performance, with record inflows to Asia ($1.5 billion) and China ($304 million).

Equity funds in the BRIC nations -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- also received a net $376 million, a record since EPFR began tracking these funds separately in October 2005.

Bond funds attracted a record $851.8 million in fresh money, specially from institutional investors.

Three funds open only to institutional investors -- two managed by Ashmore Investment Management and one managed by Grantham, Mayo, van Otterloo (GMO) -- accounted for 64 percent of the total inflows to emerging market bond funds, EPFR said.

Global equity funds also set a record, receiving $2.8 billion of fresh money, almost double their previous best mark of $1.47 billion in May 2002.